


Advanced Exploration of Something Different

by onemechanicalalligator



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24816064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemechanicalalligator/pseuds/onemechanicalalligator
Summary: He’s unexpectedly nervous waiting for Troy at the baggage claim, and he feels all fluttery when he sees him, and when they hug, Abed is suddenly hyper-aware of his blood rushing, his heart pumping, his body and where it is in relation to Troy's.Troy comes home to Abed, and something feels different.
Relationships: Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 28
Kudos: 232





	Advanced Exploration of Something Different

When Troy returns from his trip around the world, he goes to LA. He goes to Abed. They've been emailing consistently for the last year, ever since the thing with the pirates got all cleared up, and when Abed tells him about the move, they barely have to discuss it before they decide that Troy will join him, will move in with him as soon as he gets home. The rest of the group is shocked, and maybe a little concerned, like this is some huge step, but Troy and Abed just know where they belong, that’s all. It will be just like before.

* * *

It isn't just like before. Abed discovers this when he picks Troy up at the airport, because being away from Troy for so long has done something to him. He's not sure _what_ it's done to him, but something feels different. He’s unexpectedly nervous waiting for Troy at the baggage claim, and he feels all fluttery when he sees him, and when they hug, Abed is suddenly hyper-aware of his blood rushing, his heart pumping, his body and where it is in relation to Troy's. And that's definitely new. He tries to ignore it and focus on the reunion. He doesn't want to stop hugging Troy. 

* * *

Troy doesn't want to stop hugging Abed. And he knows that's silly, because he's moving back in with his best friend -- today! -- and they can hug whenever they want. Still, it's almost impossible to force himself to relax his grip on Abed, to stop breathing in his scent, which is butter and chocolate and soap, and he vaguely wonders if Abed has always smelled this good, because it seems like he would have noticed before. He wonders, as he tries to make himself let go, how he ever managed to leave at all, and he’s sure he could never do it a second time. He knows he's home now and he never wants to leave again. 

* * *

"I missed you, buddy," Troy says, settling into the passenger seat of Abed's car as they drive to the apartment. He is facing straight ahead, ostensibly taking in the sights of LA, but actually his eyes keep darting to the left. He can’t stop glancing at Abed.

"I missed you too," Abed says, and he’s gripping the wheel tightly, and his body is stiff with the stress of driving around the airport, but his voice betrays none of that, it’s all warmth and relief and joy, and Troy shivers, and it’s a good shiver.

* * *

Abed parks the car and goes to the trunk to grab one of Troy’s suitcases, and he stays behind the car for a minute trying to catch his breath. He’s amazed he got them home in one piece, because it took every bit of his concentration to keep his eyes on the road and not on Troy. He’s baffled, because he knows he missed Troy, but the _pull_ that he feels towards him now that Troy is back is like nothing he’s ever experienced. He wonders how long this will last, or how long it will take for Troy to notice him acting strange and say something.

* * *

Troy is surprised Abed hasn’t said anything about the way he’s acting. He has to put actual effort into not touching Abed. Not that Abed would have a problem with them touching, it just seems like it would be a little weird to do it while he’s driving, or while he’s lugging Troy’s suitcase up the stairs to the apartment. He fidgets and squirms and he’s so confused, and normally he would tell Abed how he was feeling, see if he could help him understand, but this time he just feels like he _can’t_ for some reason, and that’s strange, too.

* * *

“It’s a one-bedroom,” Abed says nervously as they walk in the door. “I hope you don’t mind. LA is expensive.”

“Not at all,” Troy replies. “First of all, we shared a room before and it was great. Second of all, I have, like, a ton of money now. So if it’s not great for some reason, we’ll find a two-bedroom.”

Abed can’t help his eyes growing wide at the thought that it might not be great to share a room anymore, and Troy must notice because he drops his bag right where they’re standing and grabs Abed’s hand, intertwining their fingers, and squeezes. 

“It’s gonna be great,” he says. “Forget I even said that.”

“I only have the one bed right now,” Abed blurts out. “There’s the couch, though. You can--”

“We’ll figure it out later,” Troy interrupts. “Don’t worry.”

* * *

Troy is already in love with the apartment. It’s small and simple and full of shelves of movies and comic books, and nothing matches but it all fits together somehow anyway. He puts his bags in a corner and wanders around the small space, and Abed points things out as he goes -- the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom. Troy doesn’t know why his heart flips when he sees that Abed has a double bed, why he feels an odd spark of possibility somewhere in his brain. He looks at Abed, and Abed is staring at him, and it’s like Troy can’t look away.

* * *

Abed can’t take his eyes off of Troy, and Troy seems to be having a similar problem, and Abed wonders if this is just what happens when best friends are separated for too long. Like they were two halves and this is their way of knitting themselves whole again, by looking and touching and talking, only they haven’t been doing so much talking, now that he thinks about it. Mostly just the looking and the touching, and that’s what he’s thinking about when Troy takes his hand and walks him over to the couch.

* * *

“Want to watch something?” Troy asks, because it’s the first thing he thinks of to say.

“One of the _Kickpunchers,_ ” Abed says immediately, and he pauses a moment before he gets up, like he’s not quite ready to move, and Troy understands the feeling.

After Abed finally does get up and puts the movie in, he comes back to the couch, and he sits down so close to Troy that their legs are touching, and Troy gasps a little without meaning to.

“Are you okay?” Abed asks, looking a little spooked. “Do you want me to move?”

“No!” Troy exclaims, because the last thing he wants is to not be touching Abed, and he cringes because he probably sounds like a crazy person. “No, you’re good,” he adds. 

“Okay,” Abed says, and leans back on the couch.

* * *

Abed didn’t mean to sit so close to Troy, but he couldn’t help it, it just kind of happened, and he thought maybe if they were sitting close enough to touch, he wouldn’t be so tempted to touch Troy in other ways, because what he wants is to take Troy’s hand again, or wrap his arm around him, give him another hug. It seems to be having the opposite effect, though, because now he feels even more compelled to put his hands on Troy -- _put his hands on Troy?_

* * *

Troy doesn’t know why he suddenly feels like a magnet, like there’s a force physically drawing him to Abed. He’s not watching the movie at all, but when he looks at Abed, it’s clear he isn’t watching, either. His eyes are wide and he seems to be thinking really hard about something. Troy wonders what Abed would do if he just put his arm around him, just to increase the surface area of contact between them, if that would freak Abed out, or if Abed would ask why, and Troy doesn’t know what he would say. 

* * *

“Troy,” Abed finally says, because he doesn’t know what else to do, and he feels like he’s losing his mind. “Can I hug you?”

 _“Yes,”_ Troy says, almost before Abed is finished getting the words out, and they fling themselves at each other at the same time, forming a tight embrace that makes both of them sigh and then laugh. 

They stay that way for a long time, much longer than a normal hug, both waiting for the other to let go. 

“Abed,” Troy says, and it’s muffled because his mouth is pressed into Abed’s shoulder.

“Mm?”

“Can we share the bed tonight?”

It’s not like it would be the first time they shared a bed. They used to fall asleep watching stuff together on Abed’s laptop all the time, snuggled up in the bottom bunk. Saying yes should be no big deal. But Abed is so desperate to say yes that he chokes on his words, and he feels Troy freeze.

“Yes,” Abed finally says. “Yes, sorry, definitely. Yes.” He’s babbling, and he can’t help it, because suddenly he can’t stand the thought of _not_ sharing a bed with Troy.

“Oh,” Troy says, relaxing in his arms. “Cool. Good. Awesome.”

* * *

After the movie ends, Abed makes them buttered noodles, and they eat pretty much in silence. Troy wonders if he should ask Abed if anything is wrong, but he can’t tear his eyes away from Abed long enough to do that, and Abed is staring right back, and it would be so, so creepy if it were anyone else, the two of them just staring, all quiet, occasionally taking a bite of noodles. And it isn’t creepy at all, just comfortable, and Troy is lost in his thoughts and he thinks Abed is too, and it’s been a pretty eventful day, so that makes sense. 

* * *

Abed figures Troy must be overwhelmed, since today was a pretty big day, so he’s not worried that dinner is so quiet. When they finish eating, Troy admits he’s exhausted and ready for bed, and Abed has no problem joining him, even though it’s a little early. They change into their pajamas and brush their teeth, and then they get into bed and snuggle up under the covers, and this time he doesn’t even ask Troy, he just reaches for him, holds him, and Troy clings back without a word.

* * *

“Abed,” Troy whispers.

“Yeah?” Abed says. 

“Are you good? Is this...good?”

“Very good,” Abed says. 

“Good,” Troy replies, and laughs shakily.

“Are you good?” Abed asks.

“I’m good,” Troy says, and squeezes Abed even tighter.

“Troy,” Abed says. “I love you.”

“I love you too, buddy,” Troy says, and his voice is higher than normal.

“I think I love you different than before,” Abed whispers.

“Really?” Troy asks, in that same weird voice.

“Yeah,” Abed says. “But it’s okay if--”

“I love you different, too,” Troy interrupts, fast and with conviction.

Abed pauses.

“Troy, can I--”

* * *

Abed never finishes his sentence because suddenly Troy’s mouth is on his, and it’s warm and soft, and Abed can’t help sighing as he lets his mouth fall open, lets Troy escalate the kiss, and everything suddenly makes sense again, he knows what he wants, and it’s a good kind of different. A perfect kind of different.

* * *

Troy is home. He is wrapped in Abed’s arms, he is kissing his best friend who can probably be called something else now, and this is nothing like before. 

_This is so much better than before._


End file.
